Pre-Crisis
by VervainLacedBourbon
Summary: (REPOST) "Damon let me see it!" Elena squealed, taking the picture from Damon. "Wow..she's beautiful" Damon nodded, agreeing with her. "I want to look like her when I get older.." she said softly. Damon is forced to take a little girl named Elena so he can get Katherine out of the tomb.
1. Prologue:Desending Flames

**Prologue**

Grayson Gilbert lit the last candle and kissed Miranda's forehead, leaving her to read in the room lit up by scented candles.

* * *

**DPOV:**

Damon walked around the woods, waiting for the damned witch to show up with her clue to where Katherine was. As he paced the smell of fire washed over him and he growled, subconsciously. He was always annoyed with fires ever since the "Katherine Incident" in 1864. He followed the source of it, feeling his fangs prickle for now he was hunger,tired of waiting, and pissed off. He took his times walking to the edge of the woods planning on killing whatever made the fire as he exited, walking away from the trees spotting a house with a lake behind it.

As he walked closer he heard the distinct sound of a guy yelling at him.

"Help! Help, Fire!" the man called, distressed.

The man called out to him again before running towards the house..which Damon could now tell was the source of the fire. As he calmly walked closer he took notice to a whimpering girl who looked to e around the age of 5-7. Cuts and burns were evident on her and he rolled her over slightly with his foot, causing her to squeak in pain.

Damon looked at her with disinterest before glancing up at the house again as it began to crumble, the man still inside. What he was retrieving Damon didn't know.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Elena high pitched giggle echoed around the living room as he set his little girl down. He had just told Elena that Miranda was pregnant with a little boy. Elena bounced on her heels excitedly, her brown curls flying everywhere.

"Is Mommy going to get fat now?" Elena questioned with a grin and he chuckled.

"Most likely.." he stated.

"I'll dress him up and do his hair and put on his makeup!" she screeched, jumping away from him, to hop around the room, planning the babies arrival.

Grayson's laugh boomed around the house as Elena twirled up the lake-house's steps and he heard her squeal Mommy, where Miranda lay reading. He plopped down on the couch and a lazy smile etched across his face. As he sat and closed his eyes, he listened to the soft roar of the fire. It crackled peacefully and seemed to get louder with the passing seconds.

"Grayson!"

Grayson sat up at the sound of his name because..It wasn't a sweet call it was urgent and distressed. He stood up and walked quickly over to the steps and as he did the fire grew louder along with the heat. As he turned to look back at the fireplace he saw there was no fire.

Grayson ran up the steps and saw small flames flickering on the floorboards. He ran to his and Miranda's door and yanked it open, burning his hand in the process. He hissed through his teeth but went in anyways only to be cut off by more flames. The curtains were burned and falling, the dresser was engulfed in the flaring heat. As he looked around in a panic his eyes found Miranda who was pounding on their bathrooms door weakly, coughing. He jumped over some ember and ran over to her, gripping her shoulders and noticing she was shaking with sobs, causing her to have to gasp for breaths that weren't available.

Miranda looked up at him, her eyes red and pointed at the bathroom door, mouthing his little girls name weakly.

Grayson tugged on the handle and it jiggled but the door didn't open. He pushed at it a few times before shaking his head and stepping back, getting ready to push it down.

* * *

Grayson rushed into the bathroom, Miranda stumbling along at his side to see Elena washing her hands in a rushed motion. Smoke quickly flooded the room and he grabbed Elena by her waist and ran out, gripping Miranda's hand but her movements slowed. Coughs came from all three of them and he felt Elena squirm in his arms. They got out of the room successfully and came to the steps. He let go of Miranda's hand and let her hold the railing as he stood behind her and they walked down. As they got to the fifth to last step he watched as another coughing fit came from Miranda and she slipped, tumbling down the leftover steps.

Grayson yelled down to her still body and begun to rush down the steps. When he got there he turned her over gently, setting Elena down who just sat with her eyes closed, shaking. He looked at Miranda and saw a cut across her forehead which gushed blood.

"Go.."

He looked down at the woman who croaked and shook his head, his mind rejecting the word.

"What?"

"Go..get Elena out of here and then come back." Miranda whispered hoarsely and Grayson repeatedly shook his head.

" Get Elena Out" Miranda hissed softly and Grayson shook his head but despite that he picked up Elena and ran towards the front door after looking back at the flames, descending the staircase.

Grayson ran as far as he could down the lake houses driveway before falling on the pavement, dropping Elena. He quickly staggered upwards turning back towards the house only to see half of it fall. He was barely aware of the screams coming from him and Elena and as he turned to look at her he saw the outlining of a man farther off.

"Help! Help, Fire!" he called out towards him.

As he looked harder he saw that the man needn't change direction because he had been coming this way the whole time. Grayson wondered why but decided to wave it off. He became agitated as the guy seemed to walk calmly, even with an exaggerated slowness, as if he didn't see a house on fire and a little girl coughing her lungs out before him.

"Help!" Grayson called again and as soon as he made sure the main direction the guy was going in was here, he turned around and sprinted towards the house, coughing, ignoring Elena's whimpers.


	2. Whimpering Annoyance

**Chapter Two **

**"Help!" Grayson called again and as soon as he made sure the main direction the guy was going in was here, he turned around and sprinted towards the house, coughing, ignoring Elena's whimpers.**

* * *

Damon looked at the small girls face and back at the house repeatedly trying to decide what to do. He could always leave..but then there was the _tiny _chance that the guy made it out and would find out Damon had left. Then there was the issue of the girl, or as he liked to refer to her as..the whimpering annoyance seen out of the corner of his eye.

As of now she was laid on her stomach, convulsing disgustingly.

* * *

After a few moments of indecision Damon decided to wait and see if the man would come out. He sat, his palms facing the gravel and his legs outstretched. He let out a sigh of annoyance at the fact he was still hungry, there was still a fire, and his witch hadn't shown up yet, and the _thing _next to him wouldn't shut up. While he sat trying to ignore his stomach's pleads to drain the girl, her noises, and the crackling of the fire, he closed his eyes.

As the seconds ticked by, Damon felt a small pressure on the side of his leg and he opened his eyes and looked down to see the girls back pressed against his leg, shakes racking through her spine visibly. He pushed her away with his hand causing her to hiss out in pain. He kept pushing her until she lay on her back, away from him and cries were come from her. Damon shook his head and stood up, walking over to her.

Damon kneeled down in front of her looking at her face which was covered in a sheet of sweat. Blistering burns and cuts covered her arms and her eyes were scrunched closed tightly. He grimaced inwardly as she bit her lip to the point of the skin breaking and blood being produced from it when he grabbed her arms and yanked her upwards. Her eyelids shot open to reveal brown, doe-like eyes. When they did Damon caught them instantly with his gaze and his pupils dilated and all his thoughts were directed towards her being quiet.

"Don't talk, don't whimper, don't scream, No noise." he said, annoyed.

He placed her back down and as soon as he did more cries, louder this time, came from the girl causing his eyebrows to furrow. Why didn't it work? Was he so weak that even the simplest command of silence failed him?

"It's probably vervain.." a raspy voice called out from behind him and he stood up quickly to face the arriving "person".

Damon turned around to face Chamomile, his witch. His golden ticket to finding Katherine. She stood their with her graying curls in a bun, a few strands flying around loosely. He walked towards her but she held her wrinkling hand up, gesturing for him to stop. Damon complied and stopped walking.

"What makes you think she has vervain on?" he asked, confused.

"Because of that pretty little necklace on her wrist..and I can sense it." Chamomile replied.

"Well she is annoying me..But she can wait. What do you have about Katherine?" he asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

Chamomile shrugged but dug around in her jeans pocket for a few minutes before revealing a withered, yellowing, scrap of paper. Damon started walking towards her again but she shook her head, her focus now on the girl.

"What?" he questioned, agitated.

"Take her with you." Chamomile said sternly and Damon's eyes widened, bewildered to why he needed the brat.

"Excuse me?" Damon wondered if he heard her correctly.

"You heard me child, take the girl with you." she snapped but he noticed her eyes held a sort of pain..fear..but he could tell the fear wasn't caused by him sadly.

He ignored correcting her on the point that he was in fact older than her. She could slow down the aging process but still...

"Why the hell would I take a whining kid with me?"

"Because if you don't your not getting this-" Chamomile said while holding up the paper. "Which you need to get Katherine out."

"No." Damon stated simply and Chamomile's glare hardened.

Damon let out a huff and considered stomping his foot in protest but resisted the childish act.

"But why?!" he whined, feeling like the child she had referred to him as.

"It's in the best interest of everyone..Once she's older she will be taken out of your hands but you have to protect her." Chamomile pleaded forcefully and Damon raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

"It means your taking her or this paper will be burned!" Chamomile threatened and Damon growled softly.

"Fine.." he said, planning on ditching the girl as soon as possible.

Chamomile nodded and crumpled the paper in her fist tightly, holding it out towards him and then closing her eyes. Damon watched her lips murmur silent incantations in Latin before she gasped and waved for him to come over.

He did, quickly and she shoved the paper in his hand and he gripped it tightly, resisting the grin about to spread across his face.

"Goodbye..Take the girl." Chamomile murmured before turning around and walking away.

"Wait, why?"

She didn't turn around and she didn't stop but she simply called out

"You won't be able to see whats on the paper until she is 18."

Damon's eyes widened and he ripped the paper open only to stare down at a blank, wrinkled, yellow, paper..He flipped it over and snarled as it was a replica of the other side.

"Damn it!" he hissed, turning back to look at the girl who was now sitting on her knees with wide eyes, staring intently at him.

Damon ran up to the girl, vampiracally, looking down at her. He gripped the girls arm, pulling her up and looked down at her wrist seeing the name Elena on her bracelet. He nodded to himself, keeping the information in his head before dropping her again and she slumped to her knees. He looked past her to see the house nearly black, and smoke surrounding it. He could tell the house was unstable.

* * *

He walked down the driveways path grinning. He had cheated the witchy bitch in her own game. He would simply wait 12 years and then the writing on the paper would appear most likely. After searching for any kind of clue to where Katherine was for about 145 years he could wait 12 more. He stuffed the paper into his pocket and almost instantly felt a searing pain in his right leg. He fell to his knees and looked down to see his leg was on fire. He yelled out in pain and looked around to see if a stick had blown down and caught fire from the house but nothing was there...Nothing could have caused it but..

_"It means your taking her or this paper will be burned!" _

Damon remembered the statement Chamomile had made and a slew of profanities flew through his head but only one thing came out of his mouth.

"Elena!"

**Sorry for lack of Elena dialogue but it's coming. And I KNOW Damon is being a major ass right now but..But it's necessary. **

**So what do you think Mrs Witch Lady knows about Elenaaa!  
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**Hope you enjoyed.._Review_ or I SWEAR  
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**I will PM every single follower/favoriter questioning why you haven't reviewed and what is wrong with you and if you want me to DELETE THIS STORY!  
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**Have Happy Holidays!  
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	3. Compulsion & Tears

**Chapter 3**

**He fell to his knees and looked down to see his leg was on fire. He yelled out in pain and looked around to see if a stick had blown down and caught fire from the house but nothing was there...Nothing could have caused it but..**

**_"It means your taking her or this paper will be burned!" _**

**Damon remembered the statement Chamomile had made and a slew of profanities flew through his head but only one thing came out of his mouth.**

**"Elena!"**

* * *

Damon's body arched upwards and he looked at the little girl from a tilted angle. She sat with her knees pressed tightly to her chest and her head buried in them. He wondered for a moment if her name was really Elena or if the bracelet was from a family member or something.

"Elena!" he called again and any doubt he had about that not being her name was gone when her head popped up slightly.

Damon yelled,and used his arm to try and pat down the fire but his efforts were in vain for his arm then went ablaze. He writhed continuously before noticing the girl was now standing up, looking back at the house and then at him again. Her eyes were red and swollen from smoke or tears, he didn't know & he didn't really care. If she just had that dammed bracelet off he would of compelled her and she would've been running over here. He watched her take a small step towards the burning house and faintly heard her say mommy and daddy and he groaned inwardly. He was fighting for the attention of a child against her parents...

His body twisted painfully and he closed his eyes, mentally cussing himself. If he had just taken the kid he wouldn't be in this mess..12 years later he would of had Katherine..

* * *

It stopped..Damon was still in pain of course but the initial feeling of fire had stopped. One of his eyes peeled open and he realized he was in the same spot as before but..minus the fire. He stayed on the ground fighting for breathes that he didn't really need but was comfortable with nonetheless. After a few moments he stood up, confused. Where was the gi-

A small sniffle interrupted his thoughts and Damon turned around slowly. The bundle of annoyance stood looking up at him with wide eyes and he just stared down at her not knowing what the hell he was supposed to do. Then out of nowhere she tapped his arm and pointed back at her house and he raised an eyebrow before realizing what she wanted. She wanted him to save her parents..

"No can do.." he said, mostly to him self, shaking his head.

Her eyes widened, if possible, even more and glazed over with unshed tears but it was true..he couldn't. First he didn't want to,second fire..bad idea,third..yea he didn't want to. She tugged the sleeve of his jacket and he ripped it out of her grasp causing her to stumble backwards and this time, let the tears groaned inwardly at how he was going to have to deal with this..unless he bought (compelled) himself a babysitter. As he thought, something flashed in his eye and he looked down to see it was Elena's bracelet...Elena's vervain filled bracelet. It was still hooked around her wrist and he smiled at her, kneeling down so he was eye level with her.

"Can I see that.." he asked in a sickly sweet tone and Elena shook her head violently.

"Why not?" Damon asked, his voice taking a cooler edge.

Once again Elena pointed towards the house but this time he didn't know if she was negotiating her bracelet for her parents rescue or telling him it was from one of her way he didn't care so he grabbed her wrist tightly and unhooked it before she had a chance to even reached out to take it back but Damon pocketed the chain swiftly, ignoring her soft protests.

"I would love to argue with you but-" he started before turning around and looking her in the eye. "your tired and are going to take a little nap."

Her pupils dilated and she swayed, her eyes drooping. Damon walked over to her and picked her up right when her knees buckled. He heard her sigh softly and saw her eyes close.

Then he walked...

* * *

Damon came up to the door of the Boarding House and opened the door with his free hand and walked in. He went towards the living room and dropped the girl on one of the couches before pausing. He was sure he had locked the door when he left...He walked slowly towards his alcohol cabinet before stopping again at the sound of papers shuffling. He sighed..He really didn't want to deal with a human thief already on his second day back in Mystic Falls. The only reason he knew it was human was because no other vampire could get into the house.

After a few moments of silence and the soft breaths from Elena, footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. He listened harder and his eyes widen momentarily..whoever it was had no heartbeat. Damon ran with vampire speed to the spot beside the steps, where he was hidden. The footsteps sound increased until he knew whoever it was on the last step and he appeared in front of them only to have to hold back a gasp.

"Stefan..."

* * *

"Why the pleasure of having you back?" Damon growled.

His younger brother stared at him before walking past Damon towards the living room leaving him to follow with a scowl.

"Why are you back?" he asked again.

Stefan walked directly towards the couch and pointed at Elena silently. Damon raised and eyebrow and Stefan sighed.

"I saw Chamomile when I was coming into town Damon, She told me all about your plan to bring Katherine back and her-" he said pointing back at Elena.

Damon promised himself that the next time he saw the little bitchy witch he was going to kill her..

"Doesn't explain why your back.." Damon said.

"I think it does. You can't let Katherine out Damon! And I owe Chamomile and she wants Elena protected for some reason and you obviously won't be able to do that." Stefan explained.

"She told you the whole story huh?" Damon said, going back over to pour himself a drink, Stefan nodding behind him.

"Then you know I'm going to get Katherine out as soon as possible no matter what you say." Damon said calmly, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"I also know you have to wait until Elena is 18...She's 6 so you have 12 more years." Stefan said.

Damon shrugged.

"You can watch Elena then and I'll wait 12 years.." Damon said in annoyed tone.

"No. The only reason we have to ruin this poor little girls life is because you want Katherine so your taking part in helping her." a woman's voice said causing Damon & Stefan's head to whip around towards the door.

**Yes their going to do the whole full custody of Elena thing so it's not just like they randomly have Elena an no one asks questions.**

**This is kind of rushed but..YEP!  
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**EDIT:  
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**I had deleted the first parts and combined two chapters because of there length and the WHOLE story screwed up and it wouldn't show the chapters and it was a mess so I deleted it and reposted it. Hope people still read it.  
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**This is the new chapter so far!  
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	4. Juice Box Diet

**Chapter 3**

**Damon shrugged.**

**"You can watch Elena then and I'll wait 12 years.." Damon said in annoyed tone.**

**"No. The only reason we have to ruin this poor little girls life is because you want Katherine so your taking part in helping her." a woman's voice said causing Damon & Stefan's head to whip around towards the door. **

* * *

"Lexi.." Stefan said warningly and Damon turned to face him.

"You invited her in?" he hissed and Stefan nodded waving Lexi over.

"Both of you have no control whatsoever so I'm here to keep you two in check..mainly you Damon." Lexi said with a glare directed at Damon.

Damon snarled, he didn't want this. He just wanted Katherine out of the god damn tomb. He didn't ask for a 6 year old, he didn't ask for his brother,he certainly didn't ask for his OCD freak of a friend. Lexi walked passed both of them and around the couch before kneeling in front of the cause of all his problems for reasons, he didn't know.

"See, you already got her to sleep." Lexi complimented and Damon snorted.

"Compulsion.."

"Shut up and stop lying Damon, Chamomile told Stefan she had a vervain bracelet." Lexi stated and Damon rolled his eyes,pulling out the silver item.

"Wake her up." She barked, her eyes narrowing.

Damon walked over next to Lexi and broke the compulsion. Elena stirred and yawned before sitting up almost immediately.

"Damon go take her to get something to drink..It might keep her calm for a bit." Lexi ordered and Damon looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Lexi pulled the slightly raised Elena up off of the couch and shoved her hand into Damon's before shoving him softly. Damon glared before walking off with the girl right past the kitchen...and towards the basement.

* * *

**Stefan's POV after a few moments..**

Stefan nodded agreeing with Lexi's statement. She was right, they would have to stay here because Damon obviously wouldn't be capable of taking care of a child.

"Damon how long does it take to get a little girl a glass of water?" Lexi said in a normal tone, knowing Damon could hear her.

We both stood waiting for his reply but all that came back was the sound of silence. Lexi's eyes narrowed and she stalked towards the kitchen.

"Shit.." she said softly turning back towards Stefan.

"Basement..That's the only place we wouldn't be able to hear them well." Lexi stated and Stefan quickly caught on...Damon had ran off with Elena doing only god knows what.

They got to the last step of the basement stairs and frowned at the smell of blood..Stefan mentally cursed himself for trusting Damon before shoving open a door on the left. His eyes first met with the cooler on the side that he knew was filled with bottles of wine & blood Damon had collected over the years, a few blood bags were also in their from when Damon drained a girl that tasted better than the rest.

As his eyes wandered around the whole area he heard Damon's whispers. He whipped around to look in the right corner and what he saw disgusted him. Damon was poking a straw into a blood bag and handing it over to Elena. Elena looked at it curiously with her head coked to the side and Damon nodded his head encouragingly before turning to face Stefan with a wicked grin.

* * *

Stefan knocked the blood out of Elena's hand just as Lexi came in. A small whimper of protest was heard from Elena and Damon laughed softly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lexi yelled, grabbing Elena from Damon.

Damon gave Lexi a look filled with faux innocence and shrugged.

"You told me to get her something to drink..I was just getting her a juice box." Damon said, smirking.

"She's not a vampire Damon, Elena isn't on the same diet as you." Stefan spoke up, shaking his head.

"Lighten up.I wasn't really going to let her drink the thing. It's one of my best flavors, wasn't going to waste on her." Damon said as if it would be an honor for her to have had the blood.

Lexi handed Elena over to Stefan who picked her up gently. Lexi bent down and picked the blood bag up.

"One of your best flavors huh?" she said, before squeezing the contents of the bag out onto the floor, earning a roar of disapproval from Damon.

Damon stared at Lexi for a few moments while Stefan backed out of the Basement and upstairs quietly, Elena still in hand. He heard growls and thumps but he kept walking away from both of them.

He looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled softly as he head was tucked into his shoulder but before he could sit her down on the couch again she burst into tears and smacked his arm.

**Short Chappie huh?And it's a filler aren't you lucky lol!**

**No Damon wasn't really going to let Elena drink the blood bag..I hope..  
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**PLEASE REVIEW!  
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**(Makes me want to Update..And it's almost Christmas so...PLEASE)  
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**Also please VOTE ON POLL. I want to know what time frame of Elena's life you want me to stay in THE MOST!  
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**Childhood 6-Begining of age 10  
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**(Friendship) Pre-Teen 10-Ending of age 15  
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** (Start of Romance)Teen 16-18  
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	5. Gripping Onto Pity

**Chapter 5**

**Damon stared at Lexi for a few moments while Stefan backed out of the Basement and upstairs quietly, Elena still in hand. He heard growls and thumps but he kept walking away from both of them.**

**He looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled softly as he head was tucked into his shoulder but before he could sit her down on the couch again she burst into tears and smacked his arm.**

* * *

Damon's back hit the wall with a satisfying crack before he stood up with an unnerving glare and stalked towards Lexi. She got into a defensive crouch and veins slowly started to creep under her lower eyelids but before her eyes could redden they widened and she dashed upstairs. Damon looked around quizzically for a few moments before going upstairs also. The sound sobs reached his ears as he walked up and he groaned.

* * *

He got into the living room to see Stefan and Lexi trying to comfort the sniffling girl who seemed to be begging for her parents.

"Just compel her to shut up-" he barked. "Lexi.." he added with a sneer knowing it was possible for Stefan to be incapable of doing it.

"Damon..She is a human, she doesn't have a switch. They have to let their emotions out." Stefan tried to reason but Damon just shook his head.

"And as soon as I get the chance I'm putting vervain in everything she eats and drinks." Lexi said, looking directly at Damon.

He shrugged and walked pass all of them towards his bar that he still hadn't gotten to enjoy that long, thanks to all the idiots now littering his house. He grabbed a tumbler and a bottle of wine, splashing it in messily. As he drowned out the sounds of cooing and cries a few gasps reached his airwaves. He turned around with a raised eyebrow only to nearly bump into Elena. He took a step back, uncomfortable with her close proximity and looked and Stefan and Lexi expectantly, waiting for them to take her. They shook their heads and kept their eyes glued on Elena, confused.

Damon looked back down at the girl and watched as her mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"Di-Did you s-save them?"

He couldn't say he wasn't surprised at hearing her after all that was coming out of her mouth for awhile was mommy and daddy. But nonetheless he knew who she was asking about and decided it was best (or not..) to take the straight forward approach.

"No." he answered simply. No maliciousness or cockiness took place in his tone..he just answered.

For a moment not even a breath was heard in the room that was beginning to even smell of gloom and depression. He looked at her and coked his head to the side. He was..awed? No. He was intrigued at her reaction, she just stood there and stared at the floor shaking slightly. No screams or anything just..silence.

"I'm going to go pick up necessities for a kid.." Lexi said softly, piercing the silence like a knife.

"Must you leave so soon? I was just about to poison the tea." Damon replied mockingly but it sounded awkward even to him.

Lexi scoffed and ran out of there faster than usual and Stefan watched Elena raise her head and look at Damon again.

"Why?" Elena asked in a whisper chock full of innocence. It wasn't full of accusation it was actual curiosity,

Damon turned around and stared at her curiously.

"Couldn't"

Damon decided to stick with the one word answers for awhile, it would be best for every one since he was sure no one wanted to explain to her the mechanics of vampires at such a young age..or at all. He would have to talk to everyone about toning down the vamp speed.

"Hurt.." she whispered again with her eyes shut tightly and Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"Are..Did..Are you..hurt?" she mumbled her eyes scrunched even tighter.

Damon placed his drink down. He looked at Stefan only to see him looking at the girl in bewilderment. Damon searched his mind for what the hell she could be talking about and he realized she was referring to his little burn. Damon shook his head but remembered her eyes were closed.

"No."

Elena nodded, opening her eyes again. Damon waited for anymore questions she might ask but none came. After a few moments passed Elena turned away from him and walked over to the couch, passed Stefan and sat with her head facing downwards. Silent tears began to stream down her face but other than that she didn't do anything. Damon shrugged and went to leave Stefan with the weeping child but found himself in the kitchen grabbing a glass and filling it with water. He walked back into the living room and sat next to Elena, ignoring Stefan who was kneeling in front of her. He didn't look at either of them and simply glared at the fireplace but he hovered the glass over Elena's lap, under her head. He could practically hear her blinking. From the corner of his eye he watched her stare at the glass as if she had never seen anything like it before. Damon sighed and placed the glass over on the table beside him.

"What are you going to do?"

Damon's head snapped around to look at Stefan and it was Stefan's turn to sigh.

"When she gets older?"

"I'm going to let whoever wants her, take her." Damon answered immediately.

"Damon..." Stefan said.

"No. The only reason she is here is so I can get Katherine so if I have to give her away when she is 18 to do so I will."

Silence overtook the area once again before Stefan stood up abruptly and Damon picked up the glass of water again.

"Fine, but if you think Lexi and I are going to let you give her over to a messed up person without a fight..your wrong." Stefan warned, walking upstairs.

Damon rolled his eyes and leaned back against the couch. His head rolled over to look down at Elena, whose head was in the same position as before. He placed the glass back in her lap again, holding it and closed his eyes.

Stefan and Lexi couldn't do anything to stop him from getting Katherine. If it took raising a 6 year old only to turn her over to someone he didn't know he would do it in a heartbeat..half a heartbeat.

Damon felt his grip on the glass loosening and he looked down to see Elena's hands now wrapped around the top of it and he let it go.

* * *

He pitied the girl..Everything was taken from her in less than a day and even now as she sat, perfectly safe..her whole future was half way decided for her.

And there was nothing she could do about that.


End file.
